


Come What May

by Samking



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Alcohol, F/F, Heist, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, M/M, Moulin Rouge Inspired, Moulin Rouge References, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Not Canon Compliant, Peter is extra, The Penumbra Minibang, ignores the last minute of Season 2, not between Juno and Peter, way too many comparisons to starlight, written before Soul of the People
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-22 10:05:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17660711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samking/pseuds/Samking
Summary: The Ravel Hotel has everything a thief could want: a vault to rob, wealthy patrons with more money then they know what to do with, and the Moulin Rouge a fabulous cabaret with a blast from Juno Steel’s past. When Buddy, Vespa, and Juno are hired to rob a hotel, Juno finds that he may be in it for more than just the money.Freedom, Beauty, Truth and above all else Love. It's the Moulin Rouge!Note: This is Moulin Rouge inspired, not a retelling.





	Come What May

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warnings (in case you didn't read the tags): There is non-explicit sexual assault in this fic, as well as character death, implied drug use, and alcohol use. If there are more tags you would like for me to add, please tell me in the comments and I will fix the list.

 

* * *

 

Juno stared out at the skyline of Hyperion City from his office window, a city he thought he would never return to after the Ramses debacle. The skyline hadn’t changed, not really. Some of the buildings that were being built when he left were now finished, and you could see new buildings that were cropping up in the place of old ones, but it was all and all the same city. Same skyline. Same everything. But he wasn’t the same lady who had left this never changing skyline. He was a little more ragged, a little more worn and his heart was broken in ways he never thought could be again. He once had said to Rex Glass that he didn’t joke the universe did it for him. The universe didn’t just joke for him though, it put him through the meat grinder and then put what was left of him on display at the local freak show. Come one, come all and look at the lady detective who thought he had finally found love.

Love. His mother had loved him and then she torn every shred of self worth he had ever had. His brother had loved him and was dead. Diamond…. Diamond had loved him too and learned better. They probably had the best outcome of anyone who had ever loved him. Then there was the biggest curveball, the biggest joke, that the universe had probably ever thrown him, the master thief who had stolen his heart. Peter Nureyev, the man had entered Juno’s life on a beam of starlight, and had exited it just as quickly, the man that Juno loved. Had loved. Still loved. He was dead too.

* * *

 

_A Month Prior_

Juno grumbled to himself about the pace that Buddy had set as they walked through the spaceport of Bolero. There were too many people coming through here to be walking this fast, and not everyone had as intimidating resting face as Buddy Auranko that made everyone want to jump out of their way. He hefted his bag slightly trying to make it more comfortable on his shoulder and then stopped moving as he saw the skyline of Bolero out the front windows. They called Hyperion City the most beautiful place in the galaxy, but Juno wasn’t so sure that was true looking out at the tall glass towers that seemed to dominate everything outside of the spaceport. Those glass towers twisted in ways that seemed unnatural, unreal and ethereally beautiful. The small dwarf red star that the planet orbited hit the tops of the buildings and scattered red light across the ground giving the city a strange feeling that Juno couldn’t quite place yet.

“Juno, darling, are you going to stand there all day looking at the city?” Buddy asked impatiently. Juno turned his attention from the skyline to the red-haired woman in a slim fitting catsuit that looked as if it had walked off the runway during fashion week. “It is quite the sight isn’t it?” The woman admitted fondly. “But do try to fit in, we are not here to play tourist.”

A conspicuous green car waited for them outside of the spaceport driven by no other than Vespa, Buddy’s long time lover and partner in crime. “Good trip?” Vespa asked as they climbed into the car.

“It was fine, darling.” Buddy said giving Vespa a small kiss on the cheek, neither woman was overly fond of public displays of affection. Juno sat in the back seat, trying not to gawk at the sites as Vespa drove them to their hotel and the scene of their to be heist. “Now Juno, I know that you don’t like surprises so shall I go over tonight one more time?”

“Fine.” Juno huffed.

“The fiftieth floor of the Ravel holds a rather large cabaret club, and we are going to meet the last member of our party there. A man named Marc Satin. He is already undercover, and knows what Kaufman looks like. We will meet him after his performance in room 2001 to go over details and such.” Buddy said, Juno nodded. They had gone over the plans a hundred times. He was to be the point person with Satin, relaying any information that Satin had about Kaufman to Buddy and Vespa. Satin was to seduce the rather rich weapons manufacturer Boris Kaufman to gain information on the Mercuriam Diamond necklace that Kaufman had recently acquired.

The Mercuriam Diamond necklace was a necklace that contained close to five thousand individual mercuriam diamonds designed in a spider web pattern. It was said to be the most expensive necklace to be made in the past century. It was only one of the items that Buddy and Vespa were interested in procuring from the Ravel Hotel. There was also a safe that contained a great deal of valuables from the guests of the hotel and in it was an item that Buddy had been hired to procure.

“How did we get involved with this guy Satin?” Juno asked. “Is he an old buddy from before?” Before Buddy was sent to prison and Vespa got radiation poisoning and were separated from each other for fifteen years. Neither woman liked talking about that, they just called it before. No more explanations were really needed.

“No.” Vespa said.

“He contacted us.” Buddy said. “Said he had been hired by someone else to do the job, but wouldn’t finish it for them.”

“Sounds risky.” Juno commented. Marc Satin, sounded like a fake name. Probably was in this business. Vespa and Buddy were traveling under the names Audrey and Marlyn while Juno had asked that his name be Dahlia Rose. A flare in the galaxy, a way of saying I’m here to Him. No one else would recognize that name, no one this far out. And Juno highly doubted Angstrom was still alive, no that guy wouldn’t last a day in Martian prison.

“Yes.” Buddy admitted. “But the information he gave us checked out, and I wouldn’t want to be hired by the shell company of the Brahmese government either. It’s never in a thief's best interest to work for the government, not if you want to stay alive or in the business too much longer.”

“I see.” Juno said turning his head to look out the window. At street level the towers dominated the purplish sky of the planet, and they lacked all the neon signs that Hyperion was famous for, and probably the crime as well. No Kanagawas luring you to your death with one of their crazy tv shows, no  Ramses O'Flaherty's talking to you about a better future one minute and the next orchestrating his own assasination. Must be nice, quiet, boring if you’re a PI.

Vespa pulled the car up next to the Ravel Hotel. It was easy the largest building on the block, and in metal lettering above the door in a very flowery script was _the Ravel_. A bellhop came out to great Mrs. Audrey and Mrs. Marlyn Verde and their friend Mr. Dahlia Rose. Juno took a deep breath just before the bellhop opened the back door for him. He couldn’t be Juno Steel right now, he was a poised socialite from Akna, recently made wealthy during the war. “Do you require any assistance with your bags Mr. Rose?” The bellhop asked as Juno stepped out of the car.

“Yes.” Juno said trying to put all the haughtiness he could muster in that one word. Then he walked past the bellhop and into the hotel. Buddy and Vespa joined him in the front lobby as they went to check in.

“I am Marilyn Verde,” Buddy said, “and this is Dahlia Rose.”

“Yes of course, welcome to the Ravel, Mrs. Verde, Mr. Rose.” The desk clerk said and handed Buddy two keys and then fiddled behind the desk for a second and gave Juno a pair of keys as well. “We hope your stay is pleasant. Welcome again to the Ravel.”

Buddy and Vespa both walked through the lobby as if they owned the hotel themselves and Juno hoped that his pitiful imitation of them was enough to fool the hotel employees. “This way Dahlia, darling.” Buddy said as Juno nearly missed the turn for the elevators. Dahlia, darling- it brought up old memories of another time, of another voice saying those words. _We can’t all have names as pretty as Juno_.

“Right.” Juno said and followed Buddy and Vespa into an elevator.

“We will meet you at the cabaret on the fiftieth floor at seven-thirty tonight. Don’t be late. I took the liberty of having a dress delivered to your room to wear. I know how you dress, Dahlia.” Buddy said. What was wrong with trench coats? Juno grumbled quietly to himself as he stood in the elevator watching the numbers light up with every floor they passed. Sixty-three, sixty-four, sixty-five. The elevator stopped on floor sixty-seven and an older man with gray dusting his hair entered, hit the button for the eighty-ninth floor, and stood across the elevator from Vespa without really looking at any of them. Then the elevator continued its trajectory upwards.

The next floor the elevator stopped at was eighty-three where Vespa and Buddy departed. “Seven-thirty tonight, dear, don’t be late.” Buddy said as she stepped out. Juno wanted to snark back about how he’d heard the first time, but that would only serve to make Buddy annoyed with him, so he just nodded.

Then the elevator stopped at the eighty-ninth floor and the older man walked out, and Juno was alone in the elevator. He took a deep breath and observed himself in the mirror that lined the interior of the elevator. He wore a gray charcoal suit, another gift from Buddy, with a dark purple shirt underneath with a pair of black heels. The flight from Akna had been pleasant, and for the most part Juno was enjoying himself. The hardest part was yet to come, making people believe who he said he was for the next couple of weeks.

Ding. The elevator doors opened on the ninety-seventh floor and Juno steeled himself as he walked out and looked for his room number 9708. They were all supposed to stay on the same floor he, Buddy and Vespa. A week ago though Buddy received a call on her comms saying that there had been an accident in room 8304 where Juno had originally been staying and they needed to move him up a few floors. So now he was up fifteen more stories and alone on this floor.    

With a small click from the lock when Juno inserted the key, he entered his hotel room. A single bed lay in the middle of the room, a vanity was in the corner, and a small kitchenette was across the room. The shades were open on the wide wall of glass and Juno could see the sky of Bolero. That red sun that glinted off the roofs of other buildings. An armoire held a garment bag that likely contained the dress Buddy had told him of. He sat down on the bed taking in the room. A few minutes later a knock came from the door. “Mr. Rose, I have your luggage, sir.” a young voice came from the other side.

“Bring it in.” Juno called. The lock clicked and a young man pushed in a cart with Juno’s bags. “Just set them on the bed and I will take care of them.” Then he pulled out his wallet and fished out a couple of creds remembering what Vespa had said about making the staff like them.

“Thank you sir.” The young man said as he took the money from Juno and began to push the cart back out.

It was barely three in the afternoon so Juno set the alarm on his comms for seven and layed down on the bed to take a nap. His bags could wait.

It was dark when Juno’s comms woke him up. The sun of the planet had set, which Juno was sad to have missed, but he couldn’t dwell on for too long. He had to get ready if he was going to meet Buddy and Vespa at six. Buddy would be disappointed if he looked anything but his best, and he had learned from prior experience that disappointing Buddy wasn’t something he wanted to do twice. She wasn’t like his mother who would yell and throw things when Juno upset her, or even like Diamond who would ignore you when they were upset with you, she spoke in a calm voice that made you feel as if you had just kicked a puppy. She never raised her voice, no matter how bad things were going, but she also made you believe in yourself. She made people want to do the things she wanted them to do. In another life she might have made a pretty decent politician.

The dress that she had provided was a dark blue, almost black in color. It was sleeveless, but had a neckline that came up to Juno’s throat, and hugged his body all the way to his waist where it flared out slightly and had a long slit that ran up nearly to Juno’s waist. Covering the entire material was little rhinestones that sparkled when the light hit them like the night sky. It was beautiful, and Juno wasn’t sure he could wear it. It was just too nice, and if he wore it, everyone would know he didn’t belong. But Buddy would be expecting him in this dress, and she had bought it for him.

He stared at it for a few more minutes before putting it on. He felt exposed with it on, not because it was immodest, but because he hadn’t worn anything this nice before ever in his life. Not even his wedding dress had been this nice. Buddy had outdone herself. Smoothing the dress out one more time he grabbed the smallest of his bags and walked over to the vanity to put on some light make-up.

The fiftieth floor was loud as Juno stepped out of the elevator. Music was already blasting even though the show wasn’t supposed to start for another half-hour. It was loud and pulsing along with the strobe lights that flashed in multiple colors all at once all around the room. “Dahlia, over here.” Juno heard and he turned for the source of his name, but it was hard to see anything in the crowd of people who were trying to get into the Moulin Rouge.

“Dahlia.” Suddenly Vespa was right in front of him.

“Ve- Aubrey.” Juno said relieved to see her.

“Marlyn is waiting for us.” Vespa said, grabbing his wrist and pushing through the crowd to where Buddy was waiting for them.

“A drink, madams?” A waiter said holding a tray full of glasses with some kind of green drink in them.

“No thank you.” Vespa said while Juno grabbed one. Vespa glared at him but Juno ignored it in favor of downing the drink all at once. It was strong, and he could feel his cheeks flushing almost as soon as it went down his throat. “You’re going to regret that later.”

“Maybe.” Juno agreed, but he was pretty sure that it was the only thing going to make tonight bearable.

“Ah, Juno, you look nice.” Buddy said. She wore a very avant garde jumpsuit that was gold and silver with a cape that flared out the back it. Vespa wore a pinstripe suit and a hat that made her blend in with most of the rest of the crowd unlike Buddy and Juno.

“Um, thanks.” Juno said, the lights were starting to blend together and the people were moving strangely all the sudden.

“Is everything alright, darling?”

“He drank some of whatever those waiters were serving.” Vespa said unimpressed.

“Ah.” Buddy said as if that explained everything. “Well come along, anyway. It’ll wear off soon enough. She led the three of them into the cabaret. It was a large room with a stage that dominated the back wall and a long catwalk in the middle where the dancers would mingle with the patrons. There were no chairs, instead patrons stood and waited impatiently for the show to start.

The doors were thrown open, and suddenly dozens of the best looking men and women were marching in, dressed in scantily clad outfits. “Welcome!” shouted the MC, “To the Moulin Rouge!” And then loud music began pulsing out of speakers that covered the room, and in swirls of colors, at least it seemed to Juno, the entertainers were everywhere intermingling with the patrons. Touching, teasing, shaking skirts and hats. It was overwhelming and dizzying, Juno found himself being pushed and pulled with the crowd and watching with a great amount of interest a man with dark hair who was miming lewd things before wagging a finger at a patron who got too handsy and sashing off across the room. He looked around for Buddy and Vespa, but there just seemed to be colors everywhere, and people. Screaming, squealing, as they moved in a dance that Juno had missed the steps to. It was electrifying, and Juno felt warm and alive as he moved through the crowd. Maybe that was the alcohol though.

“Here we are, entertain us!” Shouted someone in the crowd. The crowd shouted joyfully in response. Juno smiled at another entertainer, a pretty woman with long red hair who crooked her finger beckoning to him to come closer which he followed, it seemed like a good idea.

“There you are, Dahlia.” Buddy said grabbing him before he could follow too far. “No more Green Fairies for you.”

She led Juno to a table on one of the side walls where they could still see the festivities, but weren’t being jostled by the crowd. Vespa handed Juno a glass with clear liquid in it. “What is this?” He slurred slightly.

“Water.” Buddy said. Juno downed it anyway. It was water.

Then, almost as sudden as the music had started, it stopped, and a wave anticipation fell upon the room. “The french, are glad to die for love.” A sensual voice sang and Juno watched as a small round stage descended from the ceiling with a man crooning into the microphone. “They delight in fighting duels. But I prefer a man who lives and gives expensive jewels.”

“That’s our contact, Marc Satin.” Buddy said. Juno dropped his glass as he recognized the man, not as Marc Satin but as Peter Nureyev. He wasn’t wearing his usual glasses, but Juno knew that face anywhere. His hair was slicked back, and he wore long black pants that accentuated his long legs, and an unbuttoned white shirt that exposed his sculpted chest that narrowed down to a black underbust corset that tightened his waist just slightly. His neck and chest was draped in gold chains dripping in jewels and the ear cuff that he wore had a diamond that dangled from it.

Peter had once tried to seduce Juno wearing a spook suit and a pair of sunglasses and it had worked, he had no doubt that Peter would have every patron in this room eating out of the palm of his hand by the time this heist was over. He was beautiful and sparkled and shined as if he had been born on the stage. And it hurt to look at him. But Juno couldn’t take his eyes off of him. It wasn’t the way Peter moved- like every eye in the room was on him- or the sparkling jewels that adorned him. No, Juno couldn’t take his eyes off of Peter Nureyev because it finally felt like he could breathe again after so long of not seeing him.

“Dahlia, are you okay?” Buddy asked indicating to the glass that now littered the ground at Juno’s feet.

“Yeah. It uh- it slipped. I’ll pick it up.” Juno got ready to bend down and pick up the glass when Vespa snapped her fingers to catch a waiter’s attention.

“Is there something we need to talk about?” Buddy whispered into his ear.

“Its nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

“I can handle it.” Juno snapped, turning to look back at Nureyev who had departed now from the circular stage he had descended from and was now sashaying his way through the crowd, dragging fingers across faces and chests, and even leaninging in to nearly kiss a man.

He was beautiful. Even in this room full of the obsecenly wealthy and the beauty of the performers, Peter Nureyev was easily the most beautiful man in the room. How had he walked away from him? _Your know Juno, call me a fool if you like but I think I might have fallen in love with you._ Juno could see see the moon light of Deimos shining into the dark hotel room and lighting up Peter’s bare back as he slept unknowing of Juno’s departure. This man would never want him back, not after that.

Peter sashayed back to the circular stage as his song ended. “Encore, encore!” The crowd shouted, and Peter smiled a fox like smile.

“Another night my loves.” He teased, and then the circular stage ascended. Juno watched him go like it was the last sight he would ever get of the man, never mind that they were going to be apart of a heist together and Juno was pointman between Nureyev and Buddy.

“Time to go.” Buddy said quietly.

The rest of the hotel seemed quiet compared to the noise of the Moulin Rouge. No one spoke on the way down to the twentieth floor. The quiet whir of the elevator’s motor and the dings as they passed a new floor was enough to fill the silence. Dread filled Juno’s stomach though the closer they got to the twentieth floor, how would Peter react to seeing him? Would he just ignore him, be hostile towards him, certainly the man wouldn’t flirt with him. It would be hard to work with him if Peter was hostile towards him but it would be no less than what Juno deserved.

Buddy knocked on room 2001, and the door was quickly opened. Peter opened it, he had buttoned up his shirt in the ten minutes it had been since he performed, and it looked as if he had been in the process of removing his make-up when they had arrived. “Ah Marilyn Verde, it’s so nice to finally meet you.”

“Likewise Mr. Satin.” Buddy said dryly as they walked into the room.

“And you must be Audrey Verde.” Peter said to Vespa.

“Yes.” Vespa responded a little gruffer than usual.

“And you are-” He said to Juno, the only thing that gave away that Peter knew Juno at all was the hurt that appeared in his eyes.

“Dahlia, Dahlia Rose.” Juno said. An emotion that Juno couldn’t discern flickered across Peter’s face before the mask went back into place.

“Shall we get to business then?” Buddy asked.

“Certainly.” Peter said shutting the door. Buddy and Vespa draped themselves on the couch that was in the room, Juno chose a chair that was in a corner away from the dressing table that dominated one of the walls. “I have made contact with Kaufman, and I believe he is enthralled with me. He insists on having dinner with me, and showering me with presents. I think he’s going to start demanded exclusivity soon, but I’m not sure how Zigler will take that.”

“And the diamond necklace?”

“It’s offworld at the moment, not due to arrive for another week or so. But that gives us time to work on the vault. Kaufman has a key to that as well. He apparently owns part of this hotel, and I think I can get the key from him no problem. I assume you have a plan for the security system once I obtain the key.”

“Yes. We’ve got a person offworld who can hack into their security system.” Vespa said.

“And what about any muscle you might run into?” Peter asked.

“Dahlia and Audrey can handle any muscle we might run into.” Buddy said dryly. Peter raised an eyebrow and looked at Vespa with some appreciation.

“I see.”

“Are we going to have to worry about your former employer when it comes to that necklace?”

“No. No I’ve taken care of that.” Peter waved a hand dismissively. “How are we getting off world once we have the jewels?”

“The same way we came back in. You will be Julius Magnum, a manservant who we’ve hired to come back with us to Akna. I have the documents already made, and I will give them to you once the heist is done.” Peter grinned his fox like grin with his sharp teeth showing. Juno knew suddenly that Buddy had just won whatever game that she and Peter had been playing.

“Well it seems everything is in order, I look forward to getting to know Dahlia better over the next few weeks. Tah now.”  

Juno headed back up to his room alone. Buddy and Vespa had decided to deal with other things or something. Juno hadn’t really been paying attention. Instead he poured over the few interactions he’d had with Peter. The emotion he hadn’t been able to make out when Juno claimed that he was Dahlia Rose, Peter’s unwillingness to really look at him once they were in the room. His attention had been on the two women on the couch the entire time, which was fine, Juno guessed. It just- he was used to Peter focusing on him when they shared the same space. It had been jarring to have Peter barely glance at him.

Slowly Juno walked down the hall to his room from the elevator. Peter had said though that he looked forward to getting to know Dahlia over the next few weeks. What had he meant by that? Sure Juno would be playing the role of a besotted suiter so that he wouldn’t look suspicious talking to Peter all the time. Was that all he meant though? There always seemed to be hidden meanings in things that Peter said.

“Arg!” Juno shouted in frustration, he wanted to just go to sleep. Take this dress off and go to sleep. No more thoughts about what exactly Peter meant when he blinks forty-two times in a minute or whatever. Tomorrow he could find out from Peter which room Kaufman was staying in so Rita could hack the security cameras near his room and then wander around Bolero doing whatever it was rich, bored, socialites did. Probably started tv shows starring ancient torture devices, but still beat doing nothing.

The note was taped to the mirror on the wall. Juno noticed it right away, he was good with observing things, even while lacking a real eye. Buddy hadn’t had the funds to get him a new eye for the job, but no socialite would walk around with an eyepatch so he was using a synthetic glass one. It beat the THEIA anyday. Juno snatched it from the mirror and opened the piece of paper to see Peter’s familiar scrawl. When had Peter come up to his room? How did Peter know where he was staying?

_Juno,_

_Meet me on the balcony of floor 100. I believe there are things we need to talk about._

_P.N_

Was this good? Juno doubted it. He crumpled up the paper and stuffed it into a drawer in his nightstand. There wasn’t a time given in the note so he supposed going up sooner rather than later was probably the best course of action.

It felt like walking to the gallows. Peter would tell him that after this heist he never wanted to see Juno again, that if he had known that Juno was apart of it he never would have agreed to it. There was a small part of him that wanted to hope, hope that Peter still loved him, the part of him that wanted to stop looking at everything so negatively. But it felt so hard right now. Not with all the crushing guilt that weighed upon him.

The balcony on the hundredth floor wrapped around the building and had a small plasma barrier that prevented anyone from falling off, or being swept off. But the barrier didn’t really inhibit the view of the city, and so Juno went to stand by one of the railings and look over the city. If he had been impressed with it by day it was nothing compared to the view at night. Bolero lacked all of the dazzling neon that Hyperion was famous for, instead the buildings advertised with white and silver light adding to the ethereal feeling of the city. It made him miss home. Since his confrontation with Ramses O'Flaherty the former mayor of Hyperion City, Juno had been living in the Cerberus Province, running jobs with Buddy, Vespa, and Brown Jacket. He tried to help the people there, those suffering from radiation sickness. He and Vespa were actively looking for another Curemother to steal, Buddy told them halfheartedly to stop being so idealistic, but Juno couldn’t. He was used to being morally outraged, he was used to feeling like he couldn’t actually make a difference, and he was tired of it all. His cut from the heist would go towards the Curemother and hopefully things would start to change. For the better.

“You look radiant tonight.” Peter’s quiet voice said from behind him.

“You didn’t look to bad either up there singing tonight.” Juno said turning around. Peter was still in the same clothes he had been wearing earlier with a suit jacket on top to give him an air of importance.

“Thank you. It’s not often I get a chance to perform in front of a crowd. I like to seize the opportunity.” Peter’s smile showed teeth. “So you finally came out to travel the stars, what do you think? Do they stand up to your Hyperion City?”

“Its beautiful.” Juno admitted, he tried not to get defensive with Peter’s line of questioning. Peter had every right to be angry, Juno was the one who left after all. “I can see why you travel from place to place if they all looked like this.”

“They don’t always.” Peter said, his voice becoming a little more relaxed. “Some are downright boring, and others… well others offer more.” He made an aborted gesture with his arm. Juno wondered if he had wanted to reach out and touch him. Juno would have been okay with that.

“Peter- I- I’m sorry.” Juno said looking the other man in the eyes as he spoke. “I’m sorry I left, that I didn’t-” he searched for the right word but couldn’t think of the right one he wanted to say. “Explain.” He finally settled on.

Peter didn’t say anything, he just stared out across the horizon, and Juno took that as a sign for what Peter wanted. “I- I won’t bother you again after this heist, I’ll have Buddy make sure that we never bother you again.”

“Oh, Juno.” Peter said sadly, he did reach out this time and took Juno’s hands in his. “I’m not angry, not anymore at least. I was, I just-, I wanted to give you your space.” Peter traced a finger over Juno’s dark palm as he talked. “I was disappointed when I woke up alone, and sad. I have to be honest, I wished you had told me that you wanted to stay-”

“I-” Juno protested but Peter silenced him with a gentle index fingers to his lips.

“Shh, I’m talking, and then it’s your turn.” Juno’s sagged a little bit. Peter returned his finger to tracing Juno’s palm, his other hand cradling Juno’s. “I wouldn’t have pushed you so hard to come with me if I had known. I would never force you to leave with me, Juno, not unless it was dire. You know that right?” Juno nodded not able to speak. He just drank in the sight of Peter, he basked in his touch. If seeing Peter for the first time in a year made him feel like he could breathe again, having Peter touch him and gently talk to him made him feel like he was home again. “It’s your turn now.”

“I did want to leave with you. In the cave, with Misama, I would have given anything at that moment to have left Mars with you. And then I became afraid, because what did you see in me? I was a cyclops detective, and you are… you. And I was afraid that once the sun rose again and the adrenaline wore off you wouldn’t want me anymore.” Peter was still gently tracing Juno’s palm. “Because why would anyone want me? But I know different now.”

“Oh?” Peter asked in surprise.

“I dealt with a lot of things this past year. I’m not all better or cured or anything. There are demons that I will have for the rest of my life, but I’m trying, Nureyev. I want to live, I sometimes believe I deserve happiness. More than I used to. The world doesn't have to be black and white- and I can see that now.” Juno explained. “I want to make a difference. But I don’t always have to be the hero.”

“I’m happy for you.” Peter said, he still kept Juno’s hand though he stopped tracing patterns on it and turned to look back at the skyline. “I knew that you were part of Buddy’s crew before I contacted her. I keep an ear out for things going on, on Mars. Especially about a grumpy detective.” He smiled slightly. “When I saw that you were using Dahlia Rose as your cover name- I didn’t know what to think to be quite honest. But I had hopes, Juno.”

“Hopes?”

“That you would want to see me again.” Peter admitted. Silence filled the air between them. It was comfortable, and Juno felt relaxed as he stood beside Peter. He wasn’t sure what the outcome of this conversation would be, but he too had hopes.

“Juno, to be honest I’m not sure we can pick up where we left off.” Peter said with some hesitancy, Juno tensed up- he knew this was too good to be true. Good things didn’t- “I think we should start over.”

“Start over?” Juno asked.

“Yes. We can’t erase our past, but we can try this again. A relationship- one that doesn’t have the fate of Mars hanging over our heads or crazy anthropologist who want to kill us.”

“Oh- okay. Yeah. I think I would like that.” Juno said and he smiled. “I would really like that.” Then Peter leaned down and pressed his lips to Juno’s. It felt like a kiss that would last forever, and when it was over it felt like a promise of things to come.

Juno returned to the Moulin Rouge the next night, this time by himself. Peter was going to point out Kaufman to him during his performance. He and Peter had spent most of last night together in Juno’s hotel room, which turned out to be not considently to be beside the room Peter was staying in. “I had hopes, Juno.” Peter had said in way of an explanation. “You were using the name I gave you, and that gave me hope.”

“I used it so you could find me.” Juno had admitted. “I knew it was a shot in the dark, but I thought maybe if I laid enough bread crumbs you would find me.”

“I will always find you.” Peter promised, and then he had kissed Juno with enough passion and energy that Juno likely would have needed Peter’s help to stand if they hadn’t already been lying on the bed.

Tonight Peter wore a black and red corset and a pair of black pants with long boots. His jewelry from the previous night was back, and he was wearing his glasses this time as well. Juno mingled with the crowd rather then sitting in a booth like yesterday, but he kept his eyes focused on Peter watching the way he interacted with the crowd of adoring patrons. Peter liked the spotlight, but Marc Satin seemed to adore it. He watched for Peter’s signal.

It came towards the end of the song. Peter was sashaying his way through the crowd as usual, and then he stopped in front of a light skinned man who were a dark black suit and a very expensive looking ruby necklace. Peter smiled coyly at him, and reached up to give the man a kiss on the cheek, the signal. This was Kaufman. He looked like he could be an arms dealer: broad shoulders, smug smile, and attitude the like the whole world should bow before him. Kaufman reached down to grope Peter’s butt, but Peter skillfully moved away in time to avoid the touch, but made it look flirtatious while doing so. Juno growled softly as he watched the exchange, he didn’t like Kaufman before and now he really wanted to punch the man. Peter could take care of himself though, Juno had seen the other man’s work with a knife enough times.

Juno stayed for a few more of the performances, watching beautiful men and women sing and dance. But none of them could compare in his eyes to Peter. The thief had ruined him for anyone else. He went back upstairs to his room, alone and laid on the bed thinking about the future he and Peter had talked about the night before. Peter thought Juno’s desire to help the people in the Cerberus Province to be admirable but naive. He knew that Peter was probably right, just as he knew Buddy was right, but Juno couldn’t help his desire to want to help people. He hadn’t been able to help his city, not in the way he had hoped. Rames was dead, but he had still sacrifice people in the name of the greater good, and his touch still lingered on the city. Like he’d done with Oldtown, like he’d done with Sarah Steel. He didn’t listen to the people, he just did what he thought was best- and maybe Juno was the same way sometimes. He was trying to get better.

A beep from his comms pulled Juno out of his thoughts. Juno reached over and hit the play button to see the message. “Dahlia, darling, I am afraid I won’t be able to see you tonight. I have a client who has requested I see him.” Peter said in his Marc Satin personna. “Tah for now. I hope to see you another time though, last night was fun.” Juno’s stomach roiled a little as he thought about Kaufman and Peter together. He knew it was going to happen, Peter was supposed to seduce the man, Juno was playing the role of the other suitor. It just felt raw, especially since his and Peter’s relationship was still new again.

Juno called room service for a bottle of their best whiskey.

He stared at as it sat on his desk and wondered how disappointed everyone would be in him if he drank the whole bottle. Rita would be disappointed. What time was it in Hyperion City anyway?

“Mista Steel, I thought I wasn’t needed for a few more weeks.” Rita said picking up her coms after the first buzz.

“You aren’t.” Juno said, “I just- I got upset about something- doesn’t matter now- and I- I bought whiskey.”

“Okay…” Rita trailed off.

“And then- then I thought about how disappointed you would be in me if I drank it all.” Juno admitted.

“Oh. Boss, that’s so sweet. You’re right though I would be very disappointed. You’ve been doing so well Mista Steel, you’ve been like this one guy on Paradise on Pluto where he’s a down on his luck cop and…” Juno smiled as he listened to her ramble on about one of her terrible soap streams that she constantly watched. It was endearing, and if there was one person in the galaxy Juno could count on to have his back it was Rita. Sometimes he didn’t know why she stuck around with him, he knew how grumpy could get, and he had upset her twice now by disappearing for long periods of time without giving her any explanations. She deserved better, but she chose him anyway. “... and he gets the man of his dreams and it's so romantic and you deserve that too, Mista Steel.”

“Thanks, Rita.” Juno said.

“No problem, Boss.” Rita chirped. “What are ya going to do?”

“I’m going to go to bed. I’ll talk to you later. Have fun with your streams.”

“Okay, then night Mista Steel.”

“Good night, Rita.”

Juno woke up the next morning in a cocoon of warmth. Limber arms were wrapped around his torso, a pair of legs entangled in his own, and a face pressed against his neck, softly and steadily blowing warm air on him. Peter was a cuddler when he slept as Juno had discovered back in the Martian tomb when they had huddled together at night to preserve heat in the cold Martian nights. It felt nice to have someone pressed up against him again, someone to wake up to every morning. Carefully Juno turned himself so that he was facing Peter, and gently kissed his forehead. Peter looked tired even while sleeping, how late had he come in last night? Had Kaufman hurt him? Juno pushed that thought away, Peter could take care of himself, if Kaufman had done anything that Peter deemed to be too much Kaufman would lose a few fingers, diamond necklace or no diamond necklace. “Juno?” Peter mumbled.

“Shh,” Juno whispered. “Sleep. You need it.”

“You’ll be here?” Peter mumbled sleepily, his eyes were still closed and Juno could see his glasses sitting on the night stand behind him.

“Yes.” Juno promised. He kissed Peter’s forehead again and watched as the man’s breathing evened out once more.

He was beautiful. Juno knew he kept thinking that about Peter, but the man was, and Juno sometimes had trouble wrapping his mind that this beautiful man loved him and wanted him, and cherished him. With a gentle finger, Juno reached out and traced the lines of Peter’s face. He was a lucky lady.

He leaned back against the pillow, still watching Peter and imagined what their lives would be like after the heist. Juno would return to the Cerberus Province with Buddy and Vespa. Would Peter follow? He couldn’t imagine Peter would give up his life of thievery, at least not yet. But maybe- maybe Peter would be willing to think of Mars as a place of operations, a place that he would always return to no matter what. For the past twenty years he hadn’t had a place to call home, but maybe things could change. Juno wasn’t sure he was cut out for a life of planet hopping, never having a place to return to, and secretly he wondered if Peter was getting tired of that lifestyle as well.

Just before drifting back into slumber he noticed a ring on the bedside table, beside Peter’s glasses, with a ruby engraved with a K on it. A gift from Kaufman then? Juno frowned, and wondered if he should get Peter a gift too, he was supposed to be playing a rival suitor or whatever. Peter might even like it.

“The diamond necklace is definitely arriving next week.” Peter informed Juno later that day as they were both getting ready in the bathroom. Juno was brushing his teeth while Peter stuck his face out from behind the shower curtain, warm steam filling the space around them.

“I’ll let Marilyn and Audrey know.”

“You can call them by their real names, any thief worth their salt in this day and age know of Buddy and Vespa.” Peter said with a laugh. “They aren’t like me, donning new identities at every planet they go to. The names Buddy and Vespa used to clear rooms in certain areas of the Outer Rim. As a young kid on Brahma, being instructed on thievery they were idols.”

“Yes, I think Buddy mentioned that one time.” Juno said around the toothbrush in his mouth.

“They disappeared for a while, do you know what happened?” The water shut off, and Peter’s hand appeared from inside the curtain to grab one of the fresh white towels the hotel employees provided.

“Bank job went bad on Balder.” Juno said, “Buddy got arrested, and Vespa fell off a building and ended up with radiation poisoning and getting a debtor's tag.”

“I didn’t see-”

“She doesn’t have it anymore.” Juno said quickly. “Buddy bought it.”

“Is everything alright?”

“All those people who came to look for a better life because of the war. They’re in even worse situations now, and the people who stayed on devastated planets because they had nowhere to go- they never even had a chance. Even you, your planet has a floating city that rains lasers down on people who dissent in even the slightest way.”

“They haven’t activated New Kinshasa since I left.” Peter said dryly while drying his hair with his towel. “I implied that I could bring the city down remotely, and they’re still afraid I’ll do it.”

“But they’re still not free. Not really.” Juno protested.

“No,” Peter agreed frowning, “but I think things are going to change there soon.”

Juno didn’t ask what Peter meant by that, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. He had gotten burned by politics in Hyperion City, did he want to get involved with the politics of another planet?

 

Juno watched Peter again as he performed, this time Peter was wearing something that looked awfully close to being bondage gear. Tight leather pants and a vest that seemed to be nothing more than leather straps with d rings everywhere. Peter even carried a riding crop as if to complete the outfit. Later, Peter had promised him, he would wear something a little more conservative. Right now he was grinding up on total stranger singing something that came out on Venus about five years ago. He hadn’t come near Juno, but he also hadn’t gone near Kaufman either who sat catty corner from Juno’s booth. Peter seemed to go to him every night and refused to tell Juno anything about what happened between them.  He would come back with little pieces of jewelry that he would wear at his next performances. A ruby ring here, a sapphire bracelet there, even a string of Jovian pearls. It was so bad that Juno had gone out to a jewelry shop and commissioned the ancient symbol for Juno to be made a charm for an ear cuff. He had given it to Peter earlier today and enjoyed with satisfaction the way that Peter’s eyes had lit up as he recognized the charm. “I’ll wear it tonight.” He had promised. Juno couldn’t see it on him right at that moment, but Peter did have one more performance that night as Peter had reminded him numerous times over the past few days.

The next performer came out on stage, and normally this was when Juno would leave to go back to his room and wait for Peter to come back, or go to Buddy and Vespa’s room to work out the plan for the heist which was in three days. The Mercuriam diamond necklace was arriving tomorrow and Buddy and Vespa wanted to hit the vault soon after Peter had the necklace so they could get out. Everything seemed to be happening so slowly and yet all at once,

A few more performers came and went on the stage but Juno hardly paid them any attention. Then the lights went real low and a solitary spotlight appeared on the ceiling in the same place that Peter’s favorite descending stage appeared. Notes from a piano began to play as Peter appeared in a long red dress that went all the days to his ankles. He was draped in silver necklaces and Juno could see that his ear cuff had a charm on it- his charm. “I’ve seen the world, done it all, had my cake now.” Peter sang looking the direction of where Juno was sitting. Juno smiled back at him though he was aware that Peter couldn’t really see him, not with lights so low.

Juno glanced over at Kaufman as Peter sang, Kaufman was aware of Dahlia’s pursuit of Marc Satin, though he wasn’t aware of just how much time he and Peter spent together. Juno had made sure to compliment Peter after performances when Kaufman was present, and even given him a bouquet of roses at a time when they had both known that Kaufman would be a Marc’s dressing room. Kaufman had been annoyed by him but nothing more had been said. “Will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful. Will you still love me when I’ve got nothing but my aching soul?” Peter sang, this time he was looking in the direction that Kaufman was sitting in. Jealousy coiled up in Juno’s stomach. He had hoped that Peter would ignore Kaufman for the night, especially since he was singing about love and growing old together. Juno had never imagined growing old before, he had always figured he’d wind up dead in a ditch somewhere before he turned forty either by his own stupidity or making the wrong mistake with too many enemies, and the two were not mutually exclusive of one another. But Peter, he wanted to grow old with Peter, to see each other with laughter lines and enjoy one another’s company. Did Peter want that too?

Juno squashed that line of thinking, it wasn’t going to do him any good here. Peter was doing his job, what was needed in order to rob the man blind. Juno’s personal feelings should be getting in the way. Even if it meant sleeping with Kaufman and ignoring Juno. It would be worth it in the end, sacrifices right. Peter would only give Kaufman the time of day till he had the necklace, but he would stay with Juno for much longer, maybe forever. He trusted Peter though, he had trusted Peter since they were a mile deep underground in a tomb trapped by a crazed anthropologist bent on destroying the world. He had trusted Peter to return then, he trusted Peter now. But he couldn’t make the jealousy go away.

Finally he stood up and walked out of the Moulin Rouge, he needed to clear his head. Peter was ending his song so he shouldn’t be too mad that Juno had walked out. He had loved the dress, and he would tell Peter later. He loved watching Peter preen under his compliments, Peter seemed to treasure every good thing Juno said about him. Just as Juno treasured everything Peter said back to him, they both had been devoid of good things in their lives for so long. He went up to the balcony on the hundredth floor, the one where he and Peter had reconnected. He wanted to see Bolero again, to watch the city at night. It didn’t have quite the nightlife that Hyperion was known for, but all cities had night activities and Juno felt comfortable watching it all. The flying cars, the people on the street, the way the buildings lit up.

“I thought I might find you up here.” Peter said, Juno whirled around to see Peter still in his dress leaning against the doorframe. “You left early.”

“I- I need to think.” Juno admitted.

“About?” Peter crossed the balcony so that he stood also beside the railing, not quite touching Juno.

“Us.”

“Oh.” Peter took a half step backwards before Juno reached out to grab his arm and gently pull him back. He hadn’t meant for Peter to think he was pushing him away.

“I needed to sort out my jealousy issues.” Juno said quietly. “I got jealous of the attention you gave Kaufman and I needed to deal with that.”

“I see. And have you?”

“Yes, I think so. I know you don’t feel anything for Kaufman. I just, sometimes I have trouble that this is all real, that the other shoe is about to drop. You’re beautiful Peter, and I- sometimes I don’t know what you see in surly detective like myself.”

“Your kindness.” Peter said cupping Juno’s face. Juno snorted, he wasn’t kind. “I’m not lying, you are very kind Juno Steel, you feel pain for others when no one else seems to. You felt bad that you made Cassandra Kanagawa confess, you made me spare Angstrom. I envy your heart. You care for those who have been forgotten, you want to do good in a world that had dragged you over the coals your entire life. Even if some of that was self inflicting. I love all of that about you. I even love your surliness Detective. It’s cute.”

“I’m not cute.” Juno grumbled as Peter kissed his nose.

“Juno.” Peter took both of Juno’s hands into his and looked at him straight in the eye. “I need you to know that I haven’t slept with Kaufman since you and I rekindled this. I wouldn’t do that to you, he wants me to, but I’ve been playing coy. I won’t betray you, not while this is all so new.”

“And once it's not so new?”

“Then not without your permission.” Juno could live with that. “I also need you to know that before I met you I never thought I could feel like this. And then you came in and my life changed, it changed for the better and I wouldn’t give this up for the world. I would trade in all the wealth and cunnings I have to be with you. Come what may, Juno, I love you, till my dying day.”

“So sappy.” Juno whispered as he leaned up kiss Peter. Peter released his hands to wrap them around Juno’s shoulders instead and Juno moved his hands around Peter as well. One going to Peter’s back which was bare, and the other going to rest in Peter’s hair.

“You love it.” Peter murmured against Juno’s lips, when they took a break for air.

Juno wished he could put this feeling of contentedness in a bottle and save it for a rainy day. A day when Peter wouldn’t be there to cheer Juno up and the world wouldn’t seem worth it. He could pull it out and be surrounded by this feeling of love and contentedness.

Peter pressed their lips together again and Juno refused to let go.

“I have a gift for you.” Peter said later as they laid curled up together in Peter’s hotel room. “Two presents actually.”

“Two?” Juno said raising an eyebrow with interest. “For what reason?”

“Just because.” Peter teased.

He pushed away the sheets that was covering him, and padded across the hotel room to his desk and opened a drawer. The first thing he handed Juno was a key card.

“What is this to?” Juno asked slightly unamused.

“It’s to the safe.” Peter said, “I nicked it from Kaufman yesterday, thought it might make breaking into the safe a bit easier for Buddy, though I have no doubts she could have gotten in without it.” He smiled was amused, and Juno wasn’t sure what his true thoughts on the older thief was. Peter had mentioned looking up to her and Vespa when he was younger, but well they do say don’t meet your heroes.

“So its more of a present for Buddy than it is for me.” Juno said, Peter shrugged and continued to look amused. “Okay so you said there were two?”

“Yes,” Peter said looking a little nervous suddenly. “I had a little free time yesterday and well idle hands are the playthings of the devil and what have you.” He gave Juno a piece of paper. On it was sketched the skyline of Bolero from the balcony on the hundredth floor, in one of the top corners was a sketch of a dahlia intertwined with a rose. “No hidden coded messages, I promise.”

“Peter it’s-” Juno was at a loss for words, no one sense Ben had given him a gift such as this.

“I know art isn’t exactly one of my skills.” Peter said.

“No, it’s great. I just- I haven’t gotten a lot of gifts like this.” Juno admitted. “Thank you.” He smiled softly as he traced the intertwined flowers at the top. “Dahlia Rose is a very beautiful name, by the way.” Peter snorted and laid back down beside Juno before pulling the other man into his chest.

“I prefer Juno.” Peter said with a quick kiss to Juno’s cheek.

“My brother’s name was Benzaiten, another goddess if you’ll believe it. Mom had a penchant for drama I guess.” Juno shrugged. It ached to say his brother’s name, but he needed Peter to know, to understand that Juno was trying to open up to him, and if the understanding and thoughtful look on Peter’s face was anything to go by, he understood. Juno loved that about him, that Peter didn’t push, not when it came to how Juno felt. He knew when Juno didn’t want to talk about something, but he also would call Juno out when he was being overly cranky or something. Rita did it too, sometimes when Juno pushed her too far. Ben always called him out, usually teasingly, he knew all of Juno’s buttons.

Ben used to steal food off of Juno’s plate, fries usually, but sometimes other things like green beans or some other food he liked. He would do it randomly so Juno never knew when to watch him, but Ben loved doing it when Juno was in a mood. He would cackle when he would successfully nab food from Juno and then once he knew Juno was watching see if he could penetrate Juno’s watch. It was stupid, and annoying but it had always made Juno feel better watching his brother laugh. It was infectious.

Juno missed that.

“If he was anything like you Juno, then he was a goddess as well.” Peter said, it was probably meant to be romantic but it made Juno feel worse.

“We were night and day.” Juno said instead and turned to face the wall so he couldn’t see the hurt cross Peter’s face.

“Juno?” Peter asked, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I just- talking about Ben, its raw still.” Juno said turning his head slightly so he could see Peter once more. “We should get some sleep.”

“Yeah.” Peter agreed. “Can I- can I hold you, Juno?”

“Please.” Juno said. He felt strong arms wrap around his stomach as he was pulled into Peter’s chest. It was warm and solid and it helped keep him adrift in the raging storm in his head.

The sun warmed Juno’s face as he lay in bed beside Peter, both of them were awake and had been for a few hours, but neither were willing to get up and start the day. “Juno.” Peter said suddenly, he had been quiet a good part of the morning. “I- I need to tell you something.”

“What?” Juno asked.

“Tomorrow, when you and Buddy and Vespa will be performing your heist- I’m going to to receive a visitor.”

“Kaufman?” Juno asked confused, who else would visit Peter here?

“No, not exactly. A member of the Brahmese government I believe. Someone who has been made aware of my true identity.” Peter explained. “I’ve been working for someone else this whole time.”

“Someone else?” Juno echoed trying to figure out the riddle Peter was telling him. “I don’t understand.”

“A few months ago, an old friend of Mags contacted me. He thought it was about time for a revolution in Brahma, to overthrow New Kinshasa.” Juno nodded. “The war has been over for over five years and yet the regime hasn’t really restored civil liberties, and the population is growing tired. This friend of Mags, asked for my help. He needed someone to become a martyr for the cause, someone for the people to rally behind. Who better than the whispered fable Peter Nureyev who made the government stop using the Guardian Angel System twenty years ago and whom the government heavily feared.” Peter laughed to himself as if what had happened was merely a poor joke.

“And you agreed to do it.” Juno said quietly.

“I’m not actually going to die, Juno dear.” Peter said softy, cupping Juno’s face so they looked into each other’s eyes. “It’s merely going to look like it and then I’ll be free. Free from my name.” The secret that Peter kept so tightly close to his chest, he had risked it twice before, both times because of Juno. “Free to spend my life with you.”

“I highly doubt you’d give up a life of thieving just because you no longer had to hide your true identity.” Juno scoffed.

“No.” Peter agreed. “But I do think it's time I established a home, with you. Wherever you are. You’ll be my home.” Peter hadn’t had a home since that fateful day on New Kinshasa, and Juno had been so tied down to his home it had taken thirty-nine years to leave it.

“I want to be your home.” Juno whispered.

“I’m so happy to hear it.” Peter said.

“How are you ‘going to die?’” Juno asked. It seemed morbid to ask, but there was a part of him that needed to know, to prepare for whatever was going to come.

“Fall from a hotel room window. It’s poetic really.” Peter said. “I’ll take the Brahamese official with me, of course. A slight of hand and a well placed car and no one will be none the wiser that Peter Nureyev survived his falls, none but you.”

“And the rebels.”

“Yes, and the rebels. I’ll contact you once I’m in a safe location so you know that everything went well. It’ll be by the end of that day.”

Juno almost asked what would happen if he didn’t hear from Peter. What would it mean? But he didn’t want to think of that possibility, of what it would mean for him, for Peter. For them. “Thank you for telling me.” Juno said quietly instead.

Juno walked towards the little cafe that Buddy had requested he meet her and Vespa at this afternoon. The key to the safe burned a hole in his pocket as he walked. Sure this wasn’t his first heist, but this was the first one that he had been involved with this heavily. Mostly he was a lookout, or was a go between for Buddy and Rita. He didn’t mind stealing from the fabulous wealthy, not anymore. Not when he could use what he stole to do good, real good. Not just work for rich clients and fight against an injustice in a city that didn’t want to change. That just went back to the same habits no matter what.

The weather was nice in Bolero today, the red sun didn’t feel nearly as hot as the yellow sun of the Solar system. Still being outside when there was no dome was something Juno was still getting used to even after traveling to other planets. Apparently ancient humans had lived under the sun with no fear of death from it’s rays for millennia before they moved off planet. Mars had no ozone layer, nothing to protect from the radiation of the sun, which made the Cerberus province so dangerous, and the cure mothers so important. The citizens of the city didn’t move with the haste like the people of Hyperion did. Rather they mingled and talked to people they knew on the streets, they stopped and looked at store fronts, chatting with friends.

It was nice.

The kind of place that Juno envisioned Hyperion could be.

The cafe that Buddy and Vespa were sitting in had two seating areas, one outside, by the sidewalk, and the other inside. A blue and silver striped cloth cover shaded the outside sitting from the red sun. Buddy and Vespa were sitting in the corner of the outside area. Buddy wore a sleek green dress that almost matched Vespa’s hair, and Vespa wore her usual suit. Juno crossed the patio area to meet them and took the seat beside Buddy and across from Vespa.

“Hello, Dahlia. How are things with Marc?” Buddy asked, she appeared to the casual observer to be looking at the menu that had been provided on the table. But Juno could feel her side eyeing him.

“Well. He gave me a gift for you last night.” Juno said. “And his suiter’s prize has arrived.”

“That’s good to hear.” Buddy said as a waitress approached.

They made small talk after ordering drinks, Buddy brought up a recent protest of a corporation that was trying to buy rights to mine on Pluto despite the planet being deemed a nature reserve. It was her way of throwing out possible new targets for their next heists. Juno nodded along, half listening as he stirred his Jovian tea. Curse the big guy for getting him into this drink.

“So, Dahlia, let's talk about this Marc fellow.” Buddy said, Juno looked up from the green beverage before him.

“Maralyn.” Vespa said quietly but with a hint of warning, she placed a hand on the back of Buddy’s left hand. Juno stiffened, whatever Buddy wanted to say Vespa disagreed with her, and that in and of itself was unusual. The two very rarely differed in opinion.

“What about Marc?” Juno asked stiffly.  
“You two seem to be quite close.” Buddy said, “I assume you two met before now?”

Juno opened his mouth to respond and then closed it. How much did he say? He trusted Buddy with his life, but Peter didn’t. Peter had admired her and Vespa when he was a boy, but that didn’t mean that Peter trusted Buddy with his life story now. If he said too much here, would Buddy go digging or would she be content with what Juno told her? “We’ve crossed paths before.” Juno said. “Back when I was a P.I.”

“I’m sure that was quite the interaction.” Buddy said, she smiled like a cat who had caught a canary. It reminded Juno of Peter.

“Marlyn.” Vespa hissed.

“Yes, yes, I know Darling, a lady is allowed his secrets.” She said to Vespa. “I just worry Dahlia, darling, I know Marc’s types... she trailed off but Juno bristled at her implication. “Just be careful. Without trust there can be no love.”

“I trust him.” Juno said, “I trust him, I have trusted him. With my life even. Marc won’t betray us.”

“I’m not worried about him betraying us. In our business betrayal gets around fairly quickly. No, Dahlia, it’s your heart I worry about.”

Peter had said that he had forgiven Juno for leaving him. That he had come to that first night with hope. Hope that they could rekindle their relationship, start over even as if that night had never happened. But they couldn’t just forget that night, they couldn’t forget the two weeks underground in a tomb trapped by Miasma, couldn’t forget the exhilaration they had both felt as they outwitted Ingstrom and stole the Ruby Seven together. Juno couldn’t forget the tragedy that he had felt when he had stolen out of the hotel room in the dead of the night leaving Peter and everything that felt good behind him. And could Peter really forget that too?

Juno sat alone in his hotel room. It was close to midnight according to the chrono on his comms. Peter should have been back from Kaufman’s suite. Peter had been very sure that Kaufman was going to give him the necklace tonight, Juno had helped him get ready for Peter’s “date” with the man, made sure Peter was wearing the ear cuff that Juno had given him. Peter had been on cloud nine, talking about the necklace, how easy it was going to be to talk Kaufman into giving it to him. “The man is practically ready to elope with me.” Peter had said. Juno knew that Peter would never marry Kaufman, hell Juno wasn’t sure Peter would marry him. Peter could do so much better than a lady like him, he needed someone who was willing to be his partner in crime and while Juno had been dipping his toes into petty crime, he still had morals. He didn’t kill anyone, which Peter didn’t seem to have any qualms about. Juno refused to kill people after Ramses, not without his own life being severely threatened. Buddy didn’t mind, Vespa was more than capable of killing if need be.

Where was Peter then?

Maybe getting the necklace was just taking a bit longer than Peter had anticipated. Or Peter was taking his sweet time coming back to his hotel room, celebrating a job well done. Or he could have run into someone who wanted to talk to him for a while. Or he could have left.

Peter was a master thief, he could afford to make enemies in the thieving world. Especially when he wore his identities like a lady wore a coat. Easily discarded once no longer useful. Marc Satin might be unable to work in the business, but Rex Glass, and Duke Rose and the thousands of other identities that Peter had would be fine.

Maybe he had decided to run instead of becoming a martyr.

Juno sighed, and stood up. He had to do something, he couldn’t just sit in this hotel room any longer. Peter was perfectly free to leave him, Juno wouldn’t even blame him, but he just wished Peter wouldn’t deceive him. He was going to go up to Kaufman’s room, to see if Peter was still there.

Juno took the elevator to the hundred and twenty-fifth floor, the top level of the Ravel hotel. It didn’t have nearly as many rooms as Juno’s floor. Rather the elevator opened up into a octagonal room that had seven doors, one on each wall the lead to a hotel suite that was bigger than some apartments back in Hyperion City, probably bigger than some apartments here in Bolero as well. Things were quiet up here and as Juno walked towards room 1257 his gut clenched. What if he heard things that he didn’t want to hear, what if Peter had lied to him about what he and Kaufman got up to?

He shouldn’t have come.

He should have stayed in his hotel room.

He could hear his heart beating in his chest. What did Peter see in a sad little lady like himself? What could he offer Peter that Peter couldn’t find in someone else?

He heard the sound of a man moaning coming from Kaufman’s room. It wasn’t Peter, Juno knew the noises that Peter made, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t in there.

Juno almost turned back then. He didn’t want to know, sometimes it was better not to know. Ignorance was bliss and all that. Then he heard the sound of something ceramic breaking and a muffled shout of surprise. “Get off me!”

That was Peter.

Juno pulled out his blaster from his coat pocket and shot the door handle of Kaufman’s suite before kicking the door down.

Peter was on the floor with Kaufman on top of him. The living room area of the suite was in shambles. Furniture was knocked over and a lamp lay in pieces near Peter’s head. There was blood. Torn articles of clothing was strewn around Peter and Kaufman. One of Kaufman’s hand was around Peter’s throat, squeezing, while Peter’s left hand pushed against Kaufman’s chest trying to push the man off of him. The other was scrambling for anything that could be used against the man. Blood gushed from a cut on his forehead.

“Rose, what are you-” But Kaufman was cut off by Peter grabbing a piece of the broken lamp and stabbing him in the ribs.

“Get off of me.” Peter hissed as he finally was able to push Kaufman off of him. The man fell backwards still reaching for Peter. Juno rushed across the room to Peter’s side.

“Are you alright?” Juno asked.

“You made me believe that you loved me.” Kaufman whispered as Peter crouched over him, one of his many knives in his hand and then Peter slit his throat. Juno steeled himself for the blood, but refused to look away as Kaufman died.

“I could never love you.” Peter whispered, then he turned to Juno. “Oh, Juno. I’m sorry for all the blood.”

As Peter stood up from crouching over Kaufman, Juno realized that Peter was wearing nothing but a rather opulent diamond necklace that was more than certainly going to leave bruises on Peter’s neck from how tight Kaufman had been squeezing. “Peter, I-” Juno trailed off and removed his coat putting it around Peter.

“Why are you here?” Peter asked snappishly. “You’re supposed to be-”

“I got worried.” Juno cut him off. “It was later than usual. I just-” Juno sighed. “I got worried. I’m glad I did.” Peter made a huffing noise but wrapped Juno’s jacket around him nonetheless.

Silently Juno looked to see if any of Peter’s clothes were salvageable giving Peter some space. His shirt was cut down the middle, but the pant seemed to be okay, missing the buttons but if Peter wore Juno’s coat no one would know. He passed the pants to Peter and used the shirt to wipe up Peter’s blood on the lamp. “What are you doing, Juno?” Peter asked, there was exhaustion in his voice.

“They’re going to know Kaufman’s dead soon and you can’t have been here.” Juno said. “Your fingerprints being in the room can be explained by the fact that you and Kaufman were intimate, but your blood certainly can’t be here.” He searched around the room with both his detective and police brains working looking for any clues around the room that would mark Peter as the criminal. It felt better to think that way, detached and unemotional than dwell on what he had witnessed when he entered. “I’ll have Rita take care of the tapes. Did you touch the box that the necklace arrived in?” Peter shook his head.

“No, Kaufman already had the necklace out when I arrived at the restaurant. He placed it around my neck at dinner and I wore it for the rest of the night.” Peter said. Silently Juno swore, there would be witnesses who could replace Peter at the restaurant with Kaufman. They wouldn’t be able to use his first alabai which was that he was with Juno the entire night.

If they timed this right though Peter could be presumed dead before the Bolereon police got a chance to question anyone else. “I’m going to contact Buddy.” Juno said, “And Rita. Let’s get you downstairs though.” Peter nodded, buttoning up Juno’s coat around him tightly. Juno lead them out of the suite. They were going to discover Kaufman in the morning, it would look like a break-in happened, especially since Juno had shot the door open, and hopefully they could all be gone from Bolero before the police caught wind of what really happened.

“Rita.” He said dialing her on the comms.

“Booosssss,” Rita whined as she answered. “Do you know what time it is?”

“Not now, Rita.” He said a bit sharply. “I need you to hack into the Ravel’s security footage and delete all of the files on the main elevator and the hundred and twenty-fifth floor.” He heard the sound of Rita moving and then the sound of a computer being turned on.

The elevator arrived, and Juno and Peter stepped in. Juno hit the button for the ninety-seventh floor.

“Is everything alright, Boss?” She asked. Juno looked over at Peter who shook his head.

“I’ll explain later. Just, can you give me a call back when it’s done?”

“Sure, Boss. Also I’ve got the loop footage for the vault ready.”

“Kay, thanks, Rita.” Juno said as he hung up his comms on her and started dialing Buddy Auranko.

“Dahlia, why are you calling-”

“Kaufman is dead.” Juno interrupted her. “He- he attacked Satin. And Satin killed him.”

“Is he alright?” Buddy asked, she sounded genuinely concerned about Peter.

“I’m alright.” Peter said speaking for the first time. His voice was rough, probably from the bruising that Kaufman had caused when he tried to kill him.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Buddy said, her voice becoming more stiff. The elevator dinged as they reached the ninety-seventh floor and Juno and Peter stepped out making their way down the hall as they spoke. “We can use the distraction of a murder investigation to cover up our theft. How closely will the police look at Marc?”

“They were seen together at a restaurant earlier this evening. If we can get out before the police start questioning the patrons of the place, we can go with alabai that he was with me all night. That will take some of the pressure off of Marc while we leave.” Juno said. “Hopefully these guys are about as effective as the HCPD.”

“I doubt you’ll get your wish.” Buddy said. “Thank you for informing me. Take care of Marc, and we’ll all leave here tomorrow as richer ladies, and man.” Juno nodded as he opened up his hotel room.

Juno turned on the bath for Peter, making sure the water was warm before allowing the man his privacy. Peter hadn’t really spoken since the incident, and Juno didn’t want to hover. Peter wanted space, probably. He hadn’t given any indication that he wanted Juno at his side. Instead Juno went to the bed and grabbed some of the extra pillows to put on Peter’s side and gathered the first aid kit so he could put something on the cut on Peter’s forehead. Then he walked up to the bathroom door and knocked. “Peter?” He said gently. “I have a first aid kit, we need to take care of the cut on your forehead.”

No response.

“Peter, can I come in?”

He heard the water splashing and then, “Come in.” Hesitantly Juno opened the door, Peter had pulled the shower curtain so that most of his body was covered but Juno could see his head. Juno could still see the bruises on Peter’s neck, the outline of each diamond that had rested against his skin. Juno closed his eyes for a second and then kneeled down beside the tub and pulled out a wipe with an alcohol solution on it to clean up the dry blood that caked Peter’s forehead.

Head wounds were bleeders. Juno could remember that from his first aid training back at the HCPD, the cut on Peter’s forehead wasn’t nearly as bad as the blood made it out to be. Which was good. “Juno.” Peter whispered, grabbing Juno’s wrist as Juno moved to throw the bloody wipe away. “I’m okay.”

“I-” Juno started, there was so much that he wanted to say but couldn’t find the words.

“I’m glad you interrupted.”

“He almost killed you.” Juno whispered. “He assaulted you and nearly killed you.”

“It’s not the first time.” Peter said sadly. “I’m going to be okay.” Juno’s stomach dropped at Peter’s confession that this wasn’t the first time he had nearly been killed or assaulted, or both. How many marks had thought they could do whatever they wanted to him because of whatever identity he took. Back in the early days when Peter was first starting out, those days after Mags, what had Peter had to do to survive that he was okay enough with what happened that he was comforting Juno.

Juno nodded. If Peter didn’t want to make a big deal out of what happened, then he wouldn’t either. “I love you.” Juno whispered.

“I know.” Peter said. “I love you too.” He let go of Juno’s wrist so that Juno could throw the wipe away but Juno didn’t move.

“What do you need me to do?” He asked.

“Just be here.” Peter requested. “Be here by my side. I- I don’t want to be alone.” Juno nodded and adjusted his legs to a more comfortable position to sit on the bathroom floor beside Peter for as long as the man wanted him there.

Buddy had been right, Kaufman’s death was a good distraction. Everyone was focused on what was going on on the hundred and twenty-fifth floor. Juno had heard guests of the hotel chitter about it in the hallways as he walked down them. No one looked twice at him, though, no one knew the role he had played in Kaufman’s death. At some point in their very long night he and Peter had made it into the bed, Juno had vague memories of carrying Peter at the man’s request but couldn’t remember much more. They had woken up to one of the maids bringing in the room service that Buddy had ordered for them. Kind of her. Juno had regretted having to leave Peter, he looked comfortable in bed, but they had their roles to play.

“I’ll see you tonight.” Peter had promised. Juno nodded.

“We’ll meet you at the spaceport, don’t be late.” Juno had said as kissed Peter goodbye, his heart pounding. Nothing would happen to Peter, he would make it through his supposed fall and he would be waiting at the airport.

Juno had taken the necklace with him to Buddy and Vespa’s room in case the police decided his room was a good room to search as well. It had felt heavy in his pocket as Juno walked through the halls, he could still see the bruises that adorned Peter’s neck like a horrible necklace of their own.

“Rita, we’re ready.” Juno said into his comms at Buddy’s signal. The hallways in the secured area of the first floor were quite vacant. Most of the folk who worked here were up on the hundred and twenty-fifth floor with the police trying to figure out who had slit Kaufman’s throat.

“Got it, Boss.” Rita said, he heard the sound of a very dramatic key press. “You are now the invisible ladies.” Juno nodded to Buddy.

“She’s in.” Juno said.

“Good work, tell her to keep an eye on the actual feed in case someone starts heading our way. Ready to go, Juno?” It was the first time that Buddy had called him by his actual name since they had arrived in Bolero, which might have felt more significant had Peter not been calling him Juno in private since they had made up.

Vespa would stay here, just beyond the security feed monitoring room in case something went wrong with Rita’s feed. She was a master a quiet killing and a much better hacker than Juno.

He spun his laser cartridge as he walked down the hallway. He would keep the setting on stun, despite his reservations about the setting after what happened to Mick. It was a one in a million chance, but it was still terrifying to watch and he now understood Captain Kahn’s caution about it. “Looking good, Mista Steel.” Rita said into his comm making him jump slightly.

“Give a lady some warning next time, Rita.” He hissed into the comms. Buddy frowned but he ignored her.

“Sorry, Boss.” Rita said almost sheepishly. “There’s no one on my feed between you and the vault.” Juno repeated her message to Buddy as they approached the hallway that would take them to the vault.

The door to the vault was a simple metal door that didn’t look out of place in a long hallways of metal doors. It was designed to blend in, an anti-theft countermeasure. But not smart enough to keep out master thieves who could get their hands on blueprints and designs from somewhere on the black market. Buddy nodded to Juno as she pulled out the key card that Peter had stolen from Kaufman and hit it against the small pad beside the door. There was a clicking sound and then a groan as the door opened up.

“Mista Steel, there’s an alarm going off because the vault door opened.” Rita said.

“Turn it off.” Juno ordered. He turned to Buddy. “We might have company soon.” She nodded and hurried into the vault as Juno radioed Vespa to let her know the situation. How had they missed a silent alarm on the specs?

Buddy was using a mini teleporter to teleport items inside the vault back to her and Vespa’s hotel room. Juno had been irritated the first time he had seen her use one. He hadn’t realized that the black market had already been able to copy ancient Martian tech and improve upon it. He was certain that a particular thief had a hand in that happening. “I’m certain you can take care of it.” Buddy said from inside the vault as if the news didn’t have any effect on her. Probably didn’t, she had this way of making you believe you could do anything if only to make her proud. Juno gritted his teeth as he waited for the poor security officer that would be sent to check on the situation.

Sure enough a rather large burly man turned the corner, but was unprepared for Juno’s stun bolt. He went down like a sack of potatoes and Juno hurried to check his pulse. The man was fine, Juno let out a sigh of relief and then grabbed the man’s comms waiting a few seconds before radioing back to the command station.

“Uh, everything is fine, we’re fine down here, false alarm.” Juno said in his gruffest voice possible. He hoped the man didn’t have a comically high pitched voice just to screw him over.

“What caused the alarm to go off?” The command station asked. “Boyle are you sure everything’s okay. You sound off?”

“No, no, everything is fine. I’m not sure what caused the alarm to go off. I have a cold that’s all.”

“Alright.” Command said, sounding as if he didn’t quite believe Juno but wasn’t going to question  any further. Juno smashed the comms.

“Boring conversation anyway. Buddy, we need to hurry, we’ve got ten minutes tops before they coming looking for this guy.” Juno shouted.

“I’m almost done.” Buddy called back.

There was an electric energy in the air as Juno waited for one of two things to happen, a) Buddy got out of the vault, or b) Boyle’s buddies showed up to look for him wondering why he hadn’t come back. “Buddy hurry up.” Juno whispered as he dragged Boyle further into the hallway so that he couldn’t be seen by anyone coming from the security office right away.

“Let’s go.” Buddy said as the vault door shut behind her.

“Boss, you can’t go out the way you came in.” Rita said over the comms. “Go straight instead of turning right at the central hallway. The fourth door on the left leads to a stairwell that will take you up.”

“Thanks, Rita.” Juno said.

“You better hurry though, they’re headed your way.”

Juno ushered Buddy through the intersection and then headed for the fourth door on the left like Rita had instructed. “It’s locked.” He hissed. He could hear the other security officers coming. Buddy pulled Kaufman’s keycard out and Juno breathed a sigh of relief as it chirped happily and he heard the lock click.

They climbed up the stairwell, Buddy enforming Vespa over her comms what had happened and that they would rendezvous with her back up in the hotel room. “Go up to make sure Marc is ready.” Buddy ordered as they exited the stairwell on the third floor.

Juno wasn’t sure what he would find when he exited the elevator on the ninety-seventh floor. He hadn’t heard any talk of someone falling to their death as he had made his way to the elevator, separate from Buddy. The two had split after leaving the stairwell, Buddy went to go meet up with Vespa and tell the front desk they were leaving. A death in the hotel had frightened Audrey’s delicate constitution and they would be leaving the Ravel Hotel tonight. Vespa had snorted at Buddy’s plan, and Juno had to agree anyone could take one look at Vespa and know that there was no way she had a delicate constitution, no matter how many flowery dresses and sunhats she wore. Still they all knew that the front desk would be swamped with requests to leave now, and their request would not stand out among the rest.

“Juno.” Peter said, standing up from the bed he had been lounging on when Juno entered the hotel room.

“It’s done.” Juno said, Peter rushed over to him and kissed him.

“We’ll be rich men soon. Where shall I take you for our first date?” Peter smiled against Juno’s lips.

“Mmm,” Juno hummed. “I’ve always wanted to see the Heart of Pluto.” He kissed Peter, holding the man gently. Peter had asked that they put last night behind them, but Juno was having a hard time with that. Peter had opened up to him, talked about other incidents last night as he sat in cooling water in the tub while Juno sat on the tile floor beside him, just holding his hand and being there for the man.

“Then our first stop on the way to the stars will be Tombaugh Regio.” Peter promised. “And then next stop, everywhere.” Juno snorted at the idea of Peter taking him to all of the marvels of the universe. It sounded like something straight out of one of Rita’s streams.

Juno kissed him again, and then took a step back. “Are your bags ready?” Peter nodded and pointed to a small travel suitcase that was standing behind the door.

“I’ll have them with me and waiting.” Juno promised.

“I cannot wait.” Peter said. “It's going to be an adventure.” Seeing the stars with Peter probably would be.

Juno knew he should go. The man from New Kinshasa could show up any minute now, and Juno couldn’t be there when it happened. But he also didn’t want to let Peter go, for Peter to take such a risk. It was selfish of him, and June knew that, but he was a selfish lady sometimes. “Come what may.” Juno whispered.

“Come what may, I will love you to my dying day.” Peter promised, he stroked Juno’s cheek as he removed himself from Juno’s arms. “No matter what, I’ll always be with you.” Then he touched Juno’s heart. Juno nodded, holding back tears as he said goodbye to his love. Then he took Peter’s suitcase, and lingered in the doorway of Peter’s hotel room for a moment looking at him as if taking a snapshot of what Peter looked like at that particular moment in case the worse should happen.

Then Juno went into his room to pack up what little he had brought with him from Mars. He heard the door being kicked down next door, and he closed his eyes. Leaning his head against the adjoining wall, he wondered if this was how Peter had felt in that tomb when Juno had locked himself in with that doomsday bomb. The knowing that there was nothing you could do but listen and wait. He heard the struggle, the muffled shouting, and he clenched his eyes shut tighter. His hands rested on the wall, and tears slipped from his eyes silently. And then there was the sound of breaking glass and the rush of wind and muffled screams. Juno hurried to the windows of his own room and looked down. He couldn’t see anything, and for that he was grateful, he wasn’t sure he could bare it if he could see what looked to be Peter’s mangled body even if it wasn’t actually Peter.

Peter was okay. He would join Juno and the others at the spaceport, he would contact Juno if he couldn’t. Peter was okay.

Juno kept repeating that mantra in his head as he made his way through the hotel. Everyone was talking about Marc Satin and another man throwing themselves off of the hotel. Buddy waited for him in the lobby as he dragged the suitcases down, her arms crossed. “What happened?” She asked.

“He’ll meet us at the spaceport.” Juno said softly. “Explain later.”

“You better.” Buddy said. She didn’t like it when people didn’t tell her the entire plan, but Juno hadn’t wanted to out Peter, and he was still going to meet them at the spaceport so it didn’t really do anything to her plans.

Then came the waiting.

Juno sat on the bench waiting for Peter. They had an hour before their flight was to depart and Juno had Peter’s ticket in his hand. Buddy and Vespa sat beside him, silently. No one had really talked much since departing from the hotel. Too many ears that could listen in. Where was Peter? Juno closed his eyes, he had been silently begging Peter to walk up to them for the past half hour. His hopes rose everytime the door to this waiting room opened only to be dashed every time an unfamiliar face stepped in.

Slowly the clock in the corner ticked the time down to their departure. Peter, where was he? Juno’s gut told him what he didn’t want to hear. He pushed that away though, Peter would come. He would come or he would contact Juno, he had promised. Promised. His comms were silent though. There was just nothing, nothing but silence. A deafening silence.

“Juno.” Vespa whispered, grabbing his arm. “We have to go.” Juno shook his head.

“He said he would be here.” Juno said in disbelief. “He promised.”

“Maybe he got delayed.” Vespa said. “He’s a resourceful person, he’ll meet us back on Mars. But we have to go now, Juno.” It was the urgency in her voice that made Juno numbly stand up and follow her and Buddy to the ship they would leave on. Peter’s bags dragging along behind him.

“What happened, Juno?” Buddy asked from the safety of her and Vesapa’s ship. “Where’s Marc?” He sat huddled up on one of the couches, his arms around his knees looking at nothing in particular.

“Peter” Juno said horsley. “His name is Peter Nureyev.” It was the first time he had ever betrayed Peter’s trust but he couldn’t bare to hear that fake name anymore. If something had happened, if Peter wasn’t going to join them, then his name at least should be known. “He was a revolutionary on Braham before becoming a thief, and he was trying to help them when he fell. He was asked to become a martyr for the revolutionary cause. He agreed because it would allow him to be free from those hunting him. They were supposed to catch him when he fell and switch bodies or something.” Juno took a deep breath. “Something must have gone wrong. He was supposed to meet us as the spaceport. He was supposed to contact me if he couldn’t.”

He felt Buddy wrap her arms around him in a very out of character moment. “I’m so sorry, Juno.”

“We were going to see the stars.” Juno whispered. “I had promised to see them with him once, and I left him. This was our second chance.”

 

* * *

 

The man he loved was dead.

His suitcase sat unopened in the entryway of Juno’s apartment just waiting to be claimed. This morning’s headlines on all the papers and streams in Hyperion City screamed of the fall of the Brahmese government. The final nail on Peter’s coffin, he would have contacted Juno if he was still alive. Instead there had only been silence. Juno return to Hyperion City had been uneventful and without fanfare. He told Buddy that he needed time, time away from thievery and heists, away from things that reminded him of Peter. And maybe his office wasn’t the best place to run back to. A place where the ghost of Peter still remained. _Tomorrow can wait one night._ But it was the only place he really had left.

Juno stared at the skyline of Hyperion city, and if he closed his eyes he could see another, a more ethereal one. One of glass and stars instead of neon and dust. One that was sketched out on a piece of paper by a dead man as a reminder of the time they had spent together. Juno could hear the gentle way that Peter had spoken to him that first night, he could feel Peter’s gentle hands on him, his lips on him. That kiss that was full of promises of what was to come. Juno wanted that promised future, the one that Peter had promised to him when he wore a dress that looked as if lady wearing starlight.

Instead Peter had become another tragedy in a long list of tragedies that made up the sad life of Juno Steel.

_I thought he was you_.

_Where’s Ben?_

_My partner in good._

_I’ll be right here when you need me, Super-Steel._

_No matter what, I will always be with you._

The tragedy of a sad lady detective who tried to hold onto everything and everyone he had, and watched as they slipped out of his fingers one by one. A tragedy that had gone on for far too long, but Juno just couldn’t seem to end it. Because the truth was, Juno didn’t actually want to die, he just wanted his loved ones back. He wanted to be happy. And that just wasn’t in the stars, not for him.

Peter Nureyev was dead. He had been a thief without a home, without a name, but not without love. Juno had loved Peter, did love Peter, still loved Peter Nureyev.

There had been some part of him still hoping that Peter would come rushing back on a beam of starlight and whisk Juno off on some new adventure even as he had landed on Mars, even as he had come back into Hyperion City. Peter did that, come in at the last second and save the day. Why would this time be any different. But he hadn’t.

And that hope was now gone.

Juno reached for the bottle of whiskey that was sitting on his desk and didn’t even bother finding a glass that he usually had stashed away around his office, the bottle would do tonight. He opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out the Mercuriam diamond necklace. The one that Peter had seduced another man for, the one that had nearly gotten him- Juno took a deep breath as he put the whiskey bottle back to his lips. None of that mattered now, the necklace was Peter’s last gift to him so he could buy the cure mothers for the refugees.

_I envy your heart, Juno_.

“Why?” Juno asked the necklace. Why was Peter dead? Why was he not? Why didn’t the necklace, that had cost them so much, not answer him? In anger, Juno hurled the necklace against the wall across from him. Listening with some satisfaction as it made a soft thud and then landed on the floor. He took another drink from the whiskey bottle. There wasn’t a scratch on that damn necklace. It was as if the necklace was taunting him now.

He could remember the way the necklace had bruised Peter’s skin, the many diamond cutting into his skin as Kaufman had choked him. He hated the damn thing. It hurt to look at the gaudy thing. He should have just left it with Buddy and Vespa to let them hawk it off. At the time though, he had thought Peter was coming back and Juno wanted him to make the decision.

But Peter wasn’t coming back.

Juno wished he had the ear cuff charm he had bought Peter. But the man had been wearing it when he- when he- when he fell. In some ways taking Juno down with him. Instead he had the damn diamond necklace, and a drawing that he kept in his coat pocket. The skyline of Bolero. The city as it shined in the night liked diamond. He had a name, Dahlia Rose, imparted to him by Peter, a name he would never use again. He had memories, as cursed as they were.

He wasn’t sure when he finally blacked out and succumbed to sleep. His head hurt when he awoke, but it was a mere minor annoyance. He was draped over his desk though, still sitting in his chair with a blanket draped over him. When had that gotten there? He heard the sounds of another person breathing in the room, soft and rhythmically as if they were asleep. “Rita?” He asked, blinking his eyes a few times as the bright sun shined in through his window. It was too early for the sun. He pulled the blanket around him a little tighter, it was soft, and the gesture was thoughtful. He really needed to do something nice for her when he could, she put up with way too much of his bullshit.

He felt gross, his mouth dry and his face had crusty snot all over it. When had he cried last night? “Ugh.” He groaned as he tried to sit up. That made his headache worse. Never mind, he was going to lay his head back down.

He fell asleep again listening to the rhythmic breathing of the room’s other occupant.

“Mistah Steel!” Rita shouted from the other room. “Mistah Steel, are you in there?”

“Wha?” Juno asked as he sat up quickly, there was drool coming out from his mouth. Quickly he wiped it away with his wrist and looked around the room.

“Good morning, Juno.” Said the other occupant of the room, he was on the couch that Juno kept for the nights that he worked late and didn’t feel like going back to his apartment.

“Peter?” Juno asked without thinking, his mind felt fuzzy, probably from all the alcohol he’d consumed last night. “Are you haunting me now too?” Did ghost start haunting people so soon after their deaths? Maybe he should have done more research into the paranormal and ghost during the Grimm’s Mask Case, or any of the other Martian artifacts cases he had been on during that time.

“Are you usually haunted by handsome men sleeping on your couch while you drool all over your desk?” Peter asked with some amusement in his voice. Did ghosts crack jokes about being ghosts?

“Mistah Steel, I can hear you.” Rita shouted as the door handle jimmied. Juno sighed and went to unlock the door, he’d deal with the ghost later.

“Good morning, Rita.” He said with as much exasperation as he could muster.

“Good morning, Mistah Steel, Agent Glass.” Rita said waving to Peter who was still laying on the couch very disheveally. It reminded Juno of their mornings together on Bolero when he would wake up to Peter beside him, his hair ungelled and disarrayed from sleep, squinting slightly because his glasses were off. There was something intimate about it that Juno had loved. That he was seeing the real Peter Nureyev, ungelled and all.

“Good morning, Miss Rita.” Peter said.

“You can see him?” Juno asked incredulously looking between Rita and Peter.

“Should I not be able to?” Rita asked, cocking her head slightly at him.

Juno turned to Peter. “Are you haunting me or my office?”

“Neither if truth be told, I don’t believe I’ve crossed over to the land of the dead quite yet, though not for other people’s lack of trying.” Peter said standing up, he was wearing a suit with a few of the buttons undone. “What exactly did you do last night-” Peter was cut off as Juno grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss.

Peter was solid underneath him, nothing like how a ghost would feel. He was alive. It felt nice to kiss him again. He had thought he would never be able to.  His lips were soft and smooth like they always were. The scent of his cologne was missing, -he was alive- and Juno noticed as he curled his fingers into Peter’s shirt that it was too big on him, nothing like the form fitting clothing that Peter normally wore. “You weren’t at the spaceport.” Juno said as he pulled away from Peter, giving himself some space. Peter Nureyev was alive. Questions swirled around in his head now that the realization had sunk in, and he needed answers. Why had Peter not met them at the spaceport like he had promised? Why hadn’t he contacted him to let him know that he wasn’t going to make it? Why did he let Juno just not know anything, let Juno think he was dead?

“I was injured in the fall. I didn’t wake up until a week later.” Peter said grabbing Juno’s hands and rubbing his thumb over Juno’s palm. The same soothing motion he had done back on the balcony. Juno searched Peter’s dark brown eyes looking for any hints of deceit, but couldn’t find any. “I called the comms, but they were out of commission.” Buddy had destroyed the comms once they got back to Mars. Standard procedure in case the local authorities had somehow gotten their comm channels, they couldn’t be found. “By that point I had to remain hidden until after the revolution was over. I got on the first shuttle to Mars though as soon as I could.”

“I thought you were dead.” Juno whispered. His whole body felt numb, he could hear the shattering of the glass window just on the other side of the hotel wall. He could feel the numbness and impatience and worry he had felt in the spaceport just waiting. Waiting for Peter to show up. How scared he had been. And then when his fears had been validated and Juno had thought Peter was truely dead. “I thought something had gone wrong, and you had really fallen to your death.” Peter smiled weakly and shook his head.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” Juno said. “Things go wrong sometimes. And you’re here now, with me, you came back and that’s all that really matters.”

“I’ll always come back to you.” Peter raised Juno’s right hand to his lips and kissed it. “And I’ll love you till my dying day.”

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to thank my artist Chane Keil for their amazing artwork for this piece, as well as the lovely folks who organized this mini Big Bang. And thank you reader for reading this work, you're the reason I do this.


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